Vehicle-wheel.



887,562. PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

M. L. WILLIAMS. VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.26,1905.

- flux 4; 65m. v .5 M

UNITE i:

VEHICLE-\VEEEL.

Application filed December 25, 1905.

T 0 all whom 'it may cmzcem:

Be it known that I, MARTIN L. WiLLmirs, a. citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful IIn rovenients in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the "ollowing is e specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle wheels, and refers more specifical y to an improved steering wheel for automobiles.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a construction in which the axis of oscillation of the wise. s coincident with the tread center of the wheel so that oscillatory movement of the wheel when the vehicle is stationary is unaccompanied by bodily movement of the wheel away from its point of rest; to provide an improved construction and arrangement of the parts whereby the propelling mechanism is in no wise disturbed by the change of osition oi the wheel upon its axis of oscillation; to provide a construction in which the terminal portion of the ax e upon which the wheel is mounted is hemispherical or provided with n spherical surface concentric with the point of intersection of the axes of oscillation and rotation, and the wheel carries it guard which telescopes over or einhrnces said spherical ortion and forms in conjunction with the atter a. dustproof joint; to provide a construction in which the hearing which supports the chief weight is in the form or e. roller bearing and in the plane oi the spokes of the wheel; to )rovide an improved construction in which the outer portion of the wheel comprising the rim, spokes and sockets for the spokes, is mode hodil re movable from the hub portion; to provide a construction in which t 1e weight oi the axle and load. carried thereby is transmitted to the wheel huh through sets of roller or hell hearings arranged concentric with the axis of oscillation of the wheel, thereby greatly reducing the frictional resistance to sleering movement of the wheels; to provi c improved dotails' of construction and arrangement which enables the various hearing ports to be adjusted .to compensate for wear and in such --nninner as to maintain theflexihle drive shaft in the exact pro ier relation to the axis of oscillation of the w reel; and in generol to provide an improved construction of the character ,referredtoQ. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 13 19.5 12, X3953.

Serial No. 298,291.

Figure 1 is a vertical. axial sectional view of the hub portion and connected axle nortion embodying the invention; 2 a sectional view taken on line 2-2 or ili i; Fig. 3 is en opproxnnately szuelsect -1l view taken horizontally through the io-el hub but in e plane just shove the crank-min 45; Fig. 4 3, side elevation of complete wheel.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole the ierminnl portion of :i. vehicle 213th}, which terminal portion insy he formed integrally with the axle shown, attached thereto so as to form-in eil'cct e. rigid extension thereof. Said extension provided with an axial passage through which is ar ranged to extend a drive shaft 3, confined nxinl within the extension in; means of a, set of roller hearings, dcsignnteo es whole "1, interposed between the ports. The exterior of the extension is semisphcricnl. as indicetcd nt 5, end at its upper and lower sides provided with Per-like extensions 5 and 7 iLl ranged in vertical olinemont with each other, and vertical apertures, as indicated at S, for the reception of pivot bolts 9 and 9.

10 designates as it whole a. s .iindle member, which ted the form of a hollow tapered casting: or forging having an axial passage 1 l, end provided at its base or inner end with two pairs of cars, as 12, 12 and i3, 25, which are arranged to embrace the corresponding cars of the axle extension. The cars of the spindle member are similarly o'pertnred. to receive the pivot holis J and H which serve to unite the parts in such uninner that the wheel as it whole inn oscillate H.701}. e verticnl axis. In order to minimize the friction between the ports during such oscillator movement, sets oi ball bearings lei tlflliliZET-r posed between the lower sides of the of the extension member and underlying ears or the spindle member; the ears being suitably grooved to form races for the bells.

The outer end of the drive shaft minutes in a yoke 15 forming one member oi a knuckle joint; the" cooperating member hers.

being a similar yoke 16 formed upon the end of a spindle shaft 17 arranged to extend axially through the spindle member 10. The members and oi the knuckle joint are united with each other by the usual union member 18, having radius pins or bearing studs arranged at right angles to each other and connected with the respective arms of thetwo yokcs; it being noted that the center of oscillation of the union member is coincident with the vertical axis of oscillation of the wheel. The spindle shaft 17 is journaled and supported concentrically within the spindle member by means of suitable bearings arranged near the respective,

ends of the central passage of the spindle member. These hearings in the. preferred construction shown take the form of angular race members 19 and 20 seated in suitable recesses in the spindle member and cooperating with cones 21 and 22 threaded u on the shaft 17. These cones are adjusta bly hreaded on the shaft so that the exact position of the yoke carried by the shaft may be determined. Sets of balls are interposed between the cones and respective race memand hereinbefore referred to, is similarly formed by means of an angular race member 4 seated in the extension of the member 1, and an adjustably mounted cone l; the usual set of balls being interposed between these members Upon the outer end of the s indie shaft 17 is fixed a clutch disk 23 whicli is secured in position by means of a check nut 24. 25 designates as a whole an outer shell forming in effect the hub proper or part which rotates about thc'spindle member. The base portion of the shell is exteriorly finished to form an annular seat 26 which tapers very slightly toward the outer end of the hub, and upon this seat is fitted a ring casting or member 27 having a series of sockets 28' formed therein to receive the set of spokes 29. The spoke ring 27 is conveniently secured upon this seat upon the hub shell by means of a series of tap screws 29 inserted through a flange 27 form-ed upon the spoke ring and into the hub shell, as shown clearly in the drawings.

[,pon the interior or the hub shell, in register with the outer spoke ring, is provided a roller lill'l or bearing surface 30, and between this race and the periphery of the spindie member is interposed a set of conical antilriction rol lers 3-31, confined in proper relation to each other within a caging device, designated as a whole 32. '1 1c wearing suri'aros or roller races upon the interior of the hub shell and exterior oft-he spindle member, respectively, are desirably formed by means of detachable wear rings, as indicated at 30, 33, respectively. The outer and smaller end oi the hub shell is jcurnaled upon ,the outer end portion or" the spindle member? a set of The bearing, designated as a whole 4,-

senses terposed between the cone and race memben.

Upon the end margin of the shell is formed a series of clutch projections 38 which are adapted to engage the corres onding recesses of the clutch disk 28 herembcfore described, whereby rotation is im arted to the traction wheel from the s in e shaft 17. The outer end of the hub s ell is closed by means of a suitable'ca 39. v

, In order that the inner end of the hub shell may be closed so as to prevent access of dust or dirt to the-interior, a guard member 40 is secured to the spindle member, said guard being cast or forged and comprising a partisoherical portion 41 which fits closely over the corresponding spherical part of the axle extension, and a radial ort1on 42 which is secured to the base end ,0 the spindle casting- 10 and at its periphery fits-within a rabbet 43 formed in the end wall of the hub shell.

In order to seal the joint between the spher- In order to effect oscillatory movement of the wheel about its vertical axis, a, rigid arm or extension 45-is 1provided at one side which is connected rigid y with one side of the base portion of the spindle member 10 and extends in a direction approximately at right angles to the vertical axis'of oscillation, and inwardly inside of the main plane of the wheel. This steerin arm may be conveniently formed integra ly with, or rigidly connected to, the guard member 40 which-as hereinbefore described is rigid with the spindle member. With the free end of this arm is connected any suitable device for effecting the oscillation of the'wheel, as for example a steering rod 46.

By reason of the fact that the wear ring 33 which encircles the spindle member overlies the ends of the pivot or radius pins 9 and 9, the latter are retained in position without the use of other fastening means; it being noted that the outer end of each radius in is slightly headed and the spindle mem er correspondingly countersunk to receive the heads. T 1 I claim as my invention: I

l. The combination with a vehicle axle and a terminal yoke upon the latter, of a spindle member pivotally connected with said yoke to oscillate upon an axis substan tially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the axle, a wheel journaled upon said spindle member and a guardmounted to move with said spindle member during the oscillatory movement of the latter and overlaoping the contiguous portion of said yoke wnch supports the spindle member, the overlapping portion of said yoke guard being internally spherical and the exterior of the overlapped portion of theyoke of correspondlng shape.

2. The combination with a vehicle axle and a terminal yoke upon the latter, of a ,4 spindle member pivotally connected with said yoke to oscillate upon an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the axle, a wheel journaled upon said spindle member, a guard mounted upon the spindle member and haying a parti-spherical zoneshaped partwhich over aps the contiguous portion of the yoke, and a radially extending portion which extends in proximity to and 3. The combination with a vehicle ax le and a wheel-supporting member mounted thereon, and an exteriorly conical roller race ring extending circumferentially around said wheel-supporting member and detaehably united to the latter, a hub member surrounding said supporting member and pro vided interiorly with a detachable race ring, said ring being conical as to its inner eri hery and arranged concentric with said st ring, and a set of conical rollers interposed between said rings. I

MARTIN L. WILLIAMS.-

\Vitnesses:

EMILIE RosE, FRANK -L. BELKNAP. 

